Safety elevator device.



' H. W. GANSWI NDT.

SAFETY ELEVATOR DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1914.

Patented June 8, 1915-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET v THE MORRIS PETERS 00-, PHDmLlTHD" WASHINGTON. D. 4' I H. w. GANSWINDT.

SAFETY ELEVATOR DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1914. 1,142,693.

Patentd June 8, 1915.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO7. FHOTD-L|THO-. WASHINGTUN. D. (L w PFC.

. SAFETY ELEVATOR DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9,1914. Serial No. 817,603.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT W. GANs- WINDT, a citizen of Germany, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Elevator Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety elevator devices and resides in the provision of a device of the character described which is carried uponthe elevator car and cooperates with vertical rails arranged within the elevator shaft,

automatically, to bring the elevator to a gradual stop when the hoist cable for the elevator is broken or when the elevator otherwise makes a too rapid descent.

An important object of my invention is to provide a safety elevator device which will prevent falling .of the elevator due to breakage of-the hoist cable, and cause the elevator car to come to a gradual stop or to be slowed up and thus prevent loss of life or injury to the occupants of the elevator car. Another important object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive. device of the character described which is capable of being readily attached to elevators and is cheap to manufacture.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice,

and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an elevator car showing my improved safety device attached thereto, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the position i jaws 7 and 8, in open" position, that is, out

assumed by the safety device when in operation, Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 2 showing a portion of the safety device in inoperative or normal position, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the hinged operating plate forming a part of the device, Fig. -5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 1s a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing a portion of the elevator car, a casng for containing the mechanism comprismg the safety device and bearing for supporting the hinged operating plate.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference the numeral 1 designates as an entirety an elevator car having vertically disposed T-rails 2 and 3 upon the sides thereof and mounted within the elevator Patented June a, 1915.

shaft. Secured upon the under side of the proximately rectangular casing designated. 4 as an entirety and housing the safety mechanism to be later described; Mounted within the casing at points approximately centrally of the side edges of the car 1 are grlpping devices designated 5 and 6 as entireties that are arranged to cooperate with the rails 2 and 3 to bring about the gradual stop or reduction of the speed of descent of the elevator car after a manner which will be later'more fully described.

The gripping devices?) and 6 and cooperatingparts'are identical relative to each other as to construction and it is thought necessary to describe only one of them, in this instance the one 5 being chosen. The gripping device 5 and cooperating parts consist of gripping jaws 7 and 8 having integral shanks 9 and 10 formed thereon and. being crossed intermediate their ends and pivoted as at 11. The jaws 7 and 8 are approximately at right angles to the shanks 9 and 10' and are arranged to engage the sides ofthe rail 2. As a means for forcing the jaws 7 and 8 into frictional or gripping engagement with the rail 2 there has been provided helical expansion springs 12 and 13 which .are secured attheir terminals to the jaws 7 and Sand to the sides of the casing 4.v The casing 4 is provided with an opening as at 14 to facilitate the engagement of the jaws 7 and 8 with the rail 2. The springs 12 and 13 tend to normally hold the jaws 7 and 8 in engagement with the rail 2.

As a means for normally holding the laterally extending wedgeshaped extension 17. This bar 15 is arranged to swing in a lateral or horizontal plane and disposed so that the wedge-shaped extension 17 may be moved between the free terminals 18 and 19 of the jaw shanks 9 and 10. The free ends 18 and 19 are disposed beyond the pivot point 11 of the shanks 9 and 10 thus when the wedge-shaped projection 17 is forced between the free terminals 18 and 19 as disclosed in Fig. 3 in the drawings, the jaws 7 and 8 are moved, against the action of the springs 12 and 13 into open position, free from engagement with the rail 2.

As a means for holding the bar 15 so that the wedge-shaped projection 17 is in such a position as to hold the jaws 7 and 8 in open position as illustrated in Fig. 3 in the drawings there has been provided a pivoted bar or plate 20 that is pivoted within the casing' t as at 21intermediate an'd approximately centrally of its end.

The terminal 22 of the bar 20 is disposed for overlapping engagement with the free end of the bar 15 thus when thebars 15 and 20 assume the position of parallel alinement such as illustrated in Fig. 3 in the drawings, the wedgeshaped projection 17 is held between the terminals 18 and 19 of the shanks 9 and 10 of the jaws 7 and 8 and the jaws are held in open position. The other terminal 23 of the bar 20 is extended through a slot 24; formed in the casing 4c and disposed exteriorly of thecasing.

As a means for holding the terminal 23 of the bar 20 in such a position that the terminal 22 is in overlapping engagement with the free end of the bar 15, there has been provided a rectangular hinged oper ating plate 25 that is preferably formed of some suitably light metal and of a size almost equal to the diameterof'the elevator car 1. This plate 25 serves to automaticall bring about the application of the jaws and 8 to the rails 2 as well as to hold the jaws 7 and S in open position. The plate 25 is provided with ears 26 disposed'adjacent the side edge thereof and near one end. Extending through these ears and bearings 27 that are carried upon the under face of the casing 4: acent to one end'thereof is a hinged bar or rod 28 that serves as will-be clearly seen, to hingedly secure the plate to the casing 4; exteriorly thereof. Formed or carried upon the plate 25 upon the upper surface thereof are projections 29 and 30 that are disposed adjacent to the ears 26. The projection 29 operates in conjunction with the -mechanism forming the gripping device 6 while the projection 30-is arranged to engage the terminal 23 of the bar 20 upon the outer face thereof so that movement of the bar out of engagement with the free end of the bar 15 is prevented when this projection 30 is in engagement with the terminal 23 of the bar 20. The plate 25 is normally disposed in an inclined plane relative to the horizontal axis of the eleva- 'tor car 1 as shown inl ig. l in the drawings,

thus as the projections 29 and 30 are positioned beyond the hinge point of the plate, they are normally disposed in engagement with the mechanism as described of the gripping devices 5 and 6 so that swinging movement of the bars for permitting application of the jaws 7 and 8 to the rail 2 is prevented.

In operation should the elevator cable, not shown, supporting the elevator car 1 break and the car begin a rapid descent, the force of the air in the elevator shaft against the under face of the plate 25 causes the plate to move upwardly into a near horizontal position thus moving the projections 29 and 30 out of engagement with the bars of the mechanism 5 and 6. hen the projection 30 moves-out of engagement with the bar 20 the force of the expansion springs 12 and 13 moves the jaws 7 and 8 and terminals 18 and 19 of the shanks 9 and 10 toward each other. The member 17 is provided with a smooth surface and in being wedge-shaped is forced out of engagement with the jaw shanks 9 and 10 by the expansion of the springs 12 and 13. The bars 15 and 20 assume the position such as shown in Fig. 2 in the drawings and the springs 12 and 13 which are necessarily of great strength force the jaws 7 and 8 :into gripping engagement with the rail 2. This action takes place immediately upon the removal of the projection 30 from the end 23 of the bar 20 and the frictional engagement of the gripping devices 5 and'6 serve to bring the car to a stop or allow the car to'make a gradual descent. 7

As a means for operating the plate 25 from the interior of the car 1 in case of the failure of the plate 25 to be operated by the force of the air as previously described, there has been provided a vertical plunger 31 that is slidable through the car 1 and disposed with one terminal in engagement with the end of'the plate 25 adjacent to the hinged points thereof as shown at 32. A suitable helical expansion spring 33 is mounted upon the plunger 31 and serves to hold the plunger normally in upward or extended position. The plunger 31 is provided with a handle portion 34- at its upper end which is to be grasped by some occupant of the elevatorcar so thatthe plunger may be pushed downwardly to move the plate 25 so that'the projections move out of engagement with the coacting mechanism and allow the springs to move the aws into engagement with the rails 2 and 3. It will thus be seen that T have provided emergency apparatus which will insure the operation of the mechanism previously described and thus all possibility of injury or loss of life due to too rapid descent of the elevator car is positively prevented.

It will be readily seen with reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings that I have provided a simple and inexpensive safety means for elevators which may be readily attached to elevators of different characters and which will operate automatically to decrease the speed of the descent of the elevator or bring the same to a gradual stop depending upon the character of the elevator, weight thereof, etc.

The plate 25 if of a great area may be recessed upon'its sides as at 85 to facilitate the proper positioning of the rails 2 and 3 relative to the mechanism 5 and 6.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eilicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is 1. The combination with an elevator car of a safety stop device therefor comprising a casing secured upon'the under face of said car, rails mounted vertically within the elevator shaft and upon opposite sides of said car, pivoted gripping jaws arranged for gripping engagement with the rails, means for holding said jaws out of gripping engagement with the rails, spring means for forcing said jaws into gripping engagement with the rails upon the release of said holding means, means automatically operated by the force of air thereagainst when the car descends too rapidly comprising a plate pivoted exteriorly of said casing, projections on said plate normally in cooperation with said holding means and adapted to be moved out of cooperative relation thereto upon the upward movement of said plate, and means operable interiorly of the elevator car for moving said projections out of engagement with the holding means to permit gripping of the jaws with said rails.

2. The combination with an elevator car and a pair of vertical rails arranged upon Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0: Patents,

ment with the rails, bars swingingly mounted within said casing, projections carried upon said bars engaging said gripping jaws to hold said jaws in open position, a second set of bars pivoted within said casing and arranged to hold said projections in operative engagement with the gripping jaws, a plate hingedly secured eXteriorly of said casing and arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly, projections carried upon said plate and engaging said last named bars to hold said projections in cooperation with the gripping jaws, said plate arranged to swing upwardly by the force of air when the elevator makes a rapid descent, and emergency means operable interiorly of the elevator car to move the projections out of engagement with the last named bars.

3. The combination with an elevator car and vertical rails upon opposite sides of the car, of gripping jaws pivoted upon the under face of the elevator car, spring means for forcing said gripping jaws into engagement with the rails, bars pivotally mounted upon the elevator car, and projections on' said bars, said jaws having crossed shanks, said projections to extend between the shanks to hold said jaws normally apart.

4:. The combination with an elevator and a pair of vertical rails arranged upon opposite sides thereof, of gripping jaws having shanks crossed and pivoted beneath said car and being arranged in pairs on opposite sides of said car and to cooperate with said rails, rods pivotally mounted beneath said car, projections on said rods and engaging between the shanks on said jaws to hold said jaws normally apart, bars swingingly mounted intermediate their ends upon said elevator car and normally holding said projections between the crossed shanks of the jaws, spring means to force said jaws into gripping cooperation with the rails upon release of said holding means, and means to hold said last named bars in operative position. V V

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

HERBERT W. GANSWINDT. Witnesses: V i

SAM HEYMANN, EUGENE J. CLARY.

Washington, D. 0. 

